Save the Cat rankings

WHITEOUT script analysis

WHITEOUT script - Save the Cat beat sheet analysis

U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko investigates a frozen body discovered on the Antarctic ice, uncovering a lethal mystery that leads her from McMurdo Station to Vostok and back. Along the way, Carrie endures brutal weather, flashbacks of past trauma, and betrayal by trusted colleagues. With each clue—from puncture wounds to hidden diamonds—the stakes rise until a final confrontation with the killer. Ultimately, greed and survival collide in a deadly chase across the ice.

65 Save the Cat fit score 12% analysis confidence / 75 parsed scenes

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1

Opening Image

Scene 1 / Page 1 / 1% target

10%

The film opens with the stark, frozen Antarctic landscape and a discovered body, establishing tone and setting.

2

Theme Stated

Scene 2 / Page 1 / 5% target

10%

Carrie’s reluctance to engage with Professor Sapperstein hints at her isolation and mistrust, foreshadowing themes of betrayal.

Sorry, a Professor Sapperstein needs to see you in biology. Said it's urgent.
3

Set-Up

Scenes 2-5 / Pages 1-2 / 10% target

11%

We meet Carrie’s world—her office, her colleagues, and the initial cannabis theft subplot—before the body discovery interrupts.

4

Catalyst

Scene 5 / Page 2 / 12% target

11%

Sam Murphy informs Carrie of a frozen body spotted on the ice, launching the central investigation.

I got a pilot at ASB who thinks he spotted a popsicle out on the ice.
5

Debate

Scenes 6-9 / Pages 2-4 / 20% target

12%

Carrie debates logistics and recruits Doc and pilot Delfy, questioning her isolation and whether to take on the dangerous mission.

6

Break into Two

Scene 10 / Page 4 / 25% target

10%

Carrie boards the Twin Otter with her team and commits to traveling deeper into the ice field, transitioning into Act Two.

7

B Story

Scene 7 / Page 3 / 30% target

11%

Carrie’s interactions with Keller introduce the subplot of trust and potential betrayal among allies in Antarctica.

Well, hello Marshal.
8

Fun and Games

Scenes 11-15 / Pages 4-6 / 40% target

12%

The team’s fieldwork—traveling by plane, examining the corpse, and encountering a mysterious watcher—delivers the promise of the premise: Antarctic mystery and survival.

9

Midpoint

Scene 17 / Page 6 / 50% target

13%

In the clinic, Carrie discovers a puncture wound on the thawed body, raising the stakes from simple corpse retrieval to potential homicide.

One - two - three...
10

Bad Guys Close In

Scenes 19-23 / Pages 7-9 / 65% target

13%

Carrie investigates further—visiting Dinkle, pushing for a flight to Vostok—while threats mount as she pursues leads under hostile conditions.

11

All Is Lost

Scene 31 / Page 10 / 75% target

12%

Carrie collapses in the whiteout during pursuit, seemingly defeated by the storm and the killer on her trail.

12

Dark Night of the Soul

Scene 35 / Page 11 / 80% target

12%

In a motel flashback, Carrie relives trauma involving Jack and Delfy, confronting her guilt and isolation.

Wo wo wo. It's okay, it's okay.
13

Break into Three

Scene 39 / Page 12 / 85% target

12%

Carrie calls Murphy, rallying her resources and determining it must be Rubin under threat, leading to renewed action.

Murphy, listen to me, it's got to be Rubin who tried to kill me. You have to shut...
14

Finale

Scenes 63-71 / Pages 20-24 / 95% target

13%

Carrie confronts Keller, survives ambushes, and stages a climactic chase and crash, resolving the murder plot.

15

Final Image

Scene 75 / Page 25 / 99% target

11%

Doc’s final departure into the storm underscores the film’s themes of greed and betrayal, mirroring the opening’s icy desolation.

There is no granddaughter, is there? This was about greed, plain and simple.